


The Disappearances

by MissFallsALot



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Abuse, M/M, Non-Despair AU, Slightly OOC Kokichi, Still Despair Though, Tsundere Boi's, Tsundere Kaito, Tsundere Kokichi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-03-20 20:06:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13725039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFallsALot/pseuds/MissFallsALot
Summary: (Based off of the anime ERASED) (Originally wrote on my Wattpad Account) Kaito Momota will never forget the day he stood in the classroom alone with Kokichi Ouma in 5th Grade. A week after that day, Kokichi disappeared. Kaito has never truly rest since that day. What's worse, the kidnapper is still alive, kidnapping children and murdering anyone that finds out their identity.When Kaito's best friend since Grade School is killed by the kidnapper of Kokichi Ouma and countless other students, he is thrown back in time. Thrown back two months before Kokichi was kidnapped, Febuary 12. Two months before Kaito's birthday and two months before Kokichi was kidnapped.Now Kaito must find a way to save Kokichi Ouma, the boy he can't decide whether to like or hate.





	1. Chapter 1

"You're boring." Kaito glanced at the boy sitting in the seat in the very back, right next to the window. That boy sat there everyday and stared out of it, often getting in trouble with teachers due to slacking off. 

"Boring!?" Kaito gawked. "Wha-!? I'm Kaito Momota, soon-to-be luminary of the stars!" Kaito turned around entirely, pointing a finger at the boy. "I am far from boring!" Kaito stomped his foot, signifying that the topic had now ended, with him not being boring. The boy just gave Kaito a condescending look that made his insides bubble with rage. 

"If I say your boring, you probably are." He turned his glance back to the window. "I just say the facts as I see them." Kaito huffed. He was far from boring, he was going to be an astronaut when he grew up after all. Astronauts were not boring.  Whatever this boy's thought process was, it was wrong. With that, Kaito left the classroom with an angry stomp in his foot. 

\---------------

That boy had been Kokichi Ouma. He went missing a week later. Kaito's parents took him out of that school after a month of other students disappearing after Kokichi had. They "didn't want their little astronaut having his future taken away so quickly." Kaito was happy his parents had done that. Nearly a sixth of the school had disappeared before it was shut down. Kaito and a few other were the only remaining students from his class. Every time Kaito thought about the first kid to go missing, he got anxious. He knew why. The killer had never been caught. 

"Huh? Why do you have a book all about the disappearances in 5th Grade?" Kaito turned around to see Shuichi Saihara, one of his fellow survivors out of their class, holding his book about the kidnappings around 12 years ago. 

"I always wanted to know who did it. I mean, he could still be alive, y'know?" Kaito murmured, uncharacteristically quiet. Shuichi shot him a knowing look. Understandable, Shuichi always hated not being able to figure out mysteries. He seemed to always know who did it in the mystery novels he loved to read. When he wasn't right, he would beat himself up over it. Kaito had just learned to live with it, he was never right after all. 

"Kids are still disappearing." Kaito stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn't known that. "The police have asked all adults keep an eye out and make sure their children are never left unsupervised." Shuichi added. Kaito walked over to the book about the disappearances Shuichi had put back on the bookshelf. 

"Do you think Ouma Kokichi had anything to do about it?" Kaito asked, looking at the class picture with Kokichi in it. Shuichi gave the picture a sideways look, eyes focusing on the purple-haired boy. 

"He was the first to go missing," Shuichi said. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary other than that." Kaito flinched. Shuichi never meant to, but sometimes he made the astronaut feel unimportant. Stupid. Boring. 

Boring.

\---------------

"Hello, welcome to Kozue, my name is Umi and I will be waiting you today. Are you ready to order your drinks?" Umi smiled at Kaito and Shuichi. There was a sort of mischievous look in her eye but Kaito didn't think much of it. 

"Oh, sure! I'll just have water." Kaito told her, Shuichi following in his lead. As Umi left Kaito turned back to Shuichi, staying silent. He wanted to talk about the disappearances again but didn't know how to bring it up. Specifically about the more recent ones. It might be weird if that's all Kaito acted like he wanted to talk about after Shuichi came over to celebrate Kaito finally getting accepted into going to space. Not random kids that have gone missing. 

"Do you want to know more about the disappearances?" Shuichi interrupted Kaito's thoughts. Kaito went pale at the statement. 

"No-!" Kaito paused. "Maybe.." Shuichi gestured for Kaito to continue. "It's just..I don't know why but I haven't been able to stop thinking about the disappearances." Shuichi nodded. 

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since the first person disappeared." He said. Kaito opened his mouth to saying something else but Umi came back before he could. 

"Are you ready to order your food? If so, while it may not be our special I suggest Yakitori!" Umi said happily. Kaito gave her a confused look as Shuichi's face burst red as a tomato. 

"Why Yakitori?" Kaito asked, confused. Shuichi gawked at him. Umi smiled. 

"It's been quite popular with couples lately!" She cried. Kaito suddenly realized why Umi had such a mischievous look earlier. 

"We're not together!" Shuichi and Kaito cried in unison. Umi sighed, a smile still planted on her lips. It was obvious she didn't believe them one bit. 

"If you say so.." She singsonged before pulling out her notebook to take our orders. Kaito just sighed, burrowing his face in his hand out of embarrassment. 

\---------------

"Jeez, I can't believe someone assumed we were together!" Kaito exclaimed and began to ramble. Shuichi smiled at his best friend's antic's and looked over to see a kid walking side-by-side with their parent. Parent? The two looked nothing alike. And the guy wasn't dressed like someone who was just walking around at the park with their kid. He was dressed in a dark suit and looked cautious. He stood out like a sore thumb and yet nobody else seemed to have noticed him. Was he here often?

Shuichi watched the two, the child unaware to the darkness the adult next to them was emitting. That's when Shuichi noticed what the two were heading for. A car. Frozen, Shuichi watched as the child easily got into the backseat. After doing so, the adult handed them a sucker  causing the child to squeal with delight and got into the front seat. 

"...Ichi?" A hand placed itself on Shuichi's shoulder, snapping his gaze away from the car. "Shuichi!? Are you okay? You look pale." Kaito questioned. Shuichi nodded absentmindedly. Had he just watched an abduction? Bringing his gaze back to where the car was, Shuichi felt his heart stop beating. The car was gone. The child was gone too. The whole thing had gone down right in front of Shuichi and he hadn't done anything to stop it. That kid has a very low chance of surviving now. If they weren't already dead that is. Shuichi finally managed to find his voice. 

"I feel sick."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you can't take the last lines seriously...don't worry I couldn't either when I edited this chapter. Ok, so I know it's short it's just the next chapter will be where the Oumota will start so I kind of want that whole introduction to be a separate chapter from Shuichi's death

That man. Shuichi scanned through Kaito's book about the disappearances in 5th grade. He didn't like snooping through his friend's stuff but this was important. This was important. If Shuichi could figure out who was behind the kidnappings lives could be saved. 

Everyone seemed to ignore the strangely dressed man at the park. It was as though they'd seen him several times. Was it always with the same kid? Unlikely, but possible. If he was there often then that would mean that's his regular place to kidnap. Right smack in the middle of a park. Not even hiding. No wonder everyone looked him over. That was just plain suicide if you were planning on kidnapping someone like that. 

Even then, that person had to have had a purpose to going out into the open like that. Not everyone is someone familiar with that park. Shuichi sure wasn't. Unless-!

\---------------

"Where's your boyfriend?" 

"I've told you this before, Shuichi's not my boyfriend!" Kaito nearly shouted. Umi just giggled. It was a strange noise, it sounded more like a horse whinny then a human laugh. Kaito recognized it from somewhere. 

"Well whatever, I still think you two would make a cute couple!" Umi declared, giving the person who was staring at her a thumbs up. Kaito sighed. 

"Can you just give me my food?" Kaito asked, tired. 

"Nope!" Kaito's tired expression morphed into one of surprise and anger. "Not until you pay!" Kaito slouched back down, still holding anger in his expression. 

"Well yeah, I would have done that." Umi raised an eyebrow, smirk on her face, but didn't make anymore childish comments. 

\---------------

Have to.....tell....Kaito....

Phone.

\---------------

Kaito walked back to his apartment, it wasn't very far from Kozue, the restaurant he'd unluckily got Umi as a waiter for again. That girl just couldn't shut her mouth. At least, not around Kaito and Shuichi she couldn't. He had noticed Umi was much more chatty with them then then the other customers. Maybe because they were so easy to tease. 

Umi had commented on how they were boring though. Kaito still didn't understand how that managed to upset him. It wasn't because of the meaning behind the words, it was simply because of the words themselves. It was weird. 

\---------------

Can't.....reach..

\---------------

As Kaito walked up the stairs to his apartment he noticed something felt off. As he continued up, he passed someone wearing a dark hoodie, covering most of their face. They had red eyes. Kaito stopped and watched them as they walked down the street. They started out slow before slowly picking up speed when they figured they were no longer being watched. Kaito noticed they were wearing a skirt as the figure passed the street lamps. 

\---------------

It's...gone.....I..can't...tell Kaito....I'm...sorry...

\---------------

Kaito opened the door to his apartment slowly, his mind still focused on who he'd seen earlier. As he stepped inside and looked around he grew even more anxious. Where was Shuichi?

He looked down. Someone screamed. There was so much blood. The knife was lodged directly in his back. His hand was reached out as though he had been trying to grab something in his last living moments. Dragging his eyes off of the corpse of Shuichi Saihara, Kaito looked to where the scream had come from. The nice old lady next door was staring at Shuichi. As she turned to look at Kaito, he saw pure fear in her eyes. Fear? Of him?

"Wait!" Kaito found his voice. The sound of it caused the woman to go running in the opposite direction. Then it hit Kaito. The cops would be here soon. And it would look like he did it. Losing his footing slightly, he ran outside of his apartment to find the woman already in hers. 

"Run," The voice said. 

Kaito listened to the voice. He ran behind the apartments and to an area that only cops searching murder grounds would find. The place that the cops would eventually find him at. Kaito was done for. The fact that he had ran away too was beyond suspicious. 

Great going Kaito. Great going. Why did you have to be so unimportant? Stupid. Boring. Kokichi had been right. Kaito was boring. 

"C'mon Kaito, lighten up a bit. Jeez you're so predictable it's boring." Umi had said that. But..that was Kokichi's thing..? Kaito's thoughts were pushed away by the darkness that clouded Kaito's vision. "Great going Kaito."

\---------------

"Great going Kaito." Umi murmured from her couch as she watched the news. Now everyone would think that idiot had done it. Why would he run? He had a freaking alibi. She could have backed it up too. Besides, the moment Kaito opened his big mouth the police would know he wasn't smart enough to commit a crime like that.

So the real question was who did it. And who did? Kaito might have an idea. Hid dead boyfriend probably did. That might even be the reason why he's dead now. His killer was probably the same person behind the kidnappings. Which, as everyone else seems to have overlooked, could have very well been a child 12 years ago. Probably in the class Umi had figured out Kaito was in. 

Standing up, Umi grabbed the copy of hers about the dissapearances in 5th grade. She stared at her class photo. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of a girl with brown hair in ponytails, and a black skirt, her main color theme being red. That girl was suspicious. She always had been. Umi suspected her, if she was the one who killed Kaito's boyfriend tonight, Umi would have her head. No one messes with Umi's ships.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can't take the last lines seriously...don't worry I couldn't either when I edited this chapter. Ok, so I know it's short it's just the next chapter will be where the Oumota will start so I kind of want that whole introduction to be a separate chapter from Shuichi's death)


	3. Chapter 3

Kaito opened his eyes and everything flooded back to him. Shuichi...He was gone. Kaito's childhood friend was gone. Shutting his eyes again, Kaito curled himself into a ball. Slowly, he became aware of what he was laying on. It should have been the hard, cold sidewalk behind the apartments. So why..?

Forcing his eyes open, Kaito sat up and looked around. He was in a house. Had someone found him? If they had, wouldn't they have just called 911? Or maybe they didn't know. Did they think he was some homeless guy sleeping on the side of the road? Getting more anxious by the second, Kaito stood up. 

The moment he had a beeping sound echoed across the room. He looked over to see an alarm clock going off. Was it supposed to be set? Kaito looked around to see if anyone else was in the room. 

"Kaito Momota! Turn that dam-I mean dang alarm clock off!" A voice called. Kaito froze. He recognized that voice. He hadn't heard that voice in years. Reaching forward shakily, Kaito pressed the third button on the alarm clock, the one that always turned his alarm clock off as a kid. It turned off. 

\---------------

The fact that Kaito had managed to get ready for school at all was honestly amazing. After all, he had somehow gone back in time just after his best friend was murdered and the old lady next door called the police saying it was him. Not the most normal thing to happen in a day. 

"Mom, what day is it?" Kaito asked. Akemi, Kaito's mom, gave him a surprised look. 

"Monday, what day did you expect after the weekend?" She said, an amused smile on her face. Kaito shook his head. 

"No like what day on the calendar?" Akemi looked over at the calendar hung on the kitchen wall. 

"The 13th I think." Kaito followed her gaze to the month. February. Nothing happens around this time though, so why did Kaito jump back to here? Kaito looked around the house and even down at his height in an attempt to figure out what year it was. 

"Kaito you should focus on your breakfast. You have to leave for school in a few minutes." Kaito hadn't even thought about school. Sure, he had known it was today, it just hasn't clicked that he was going to be in a classroom. Wait..! That meant, he could see Shuichi again! 

Filled with newfound energy, Kaito stuffed down his food and chugged his drink before leaping towards the door, backpack in hand. Startled by his sudden excitement, Akemi leaped forward and threw Kaito his jacket as he leaped into the cold winter air. 

"Have a good day!" Akemi yelled as Kaito ran off. Why had Kaito gone back in time? He didn't know. All he did know, was this was his chance. This was his chance to-! 

\---------------

No way. He was a fifth grader. The kidnappings that his ruled his life and mind for all these years, it hadn't existed yet. He could stop them then. He searched his mind and was hit by one thought. The only victim of the kidnappings he remembered was Kokichi Ouma. 

"I guess you'll just have to save him, then." The voice told Kaito. Kaito once again, listened. 

"Oh hey Kaito!" A quiet voice Kaito knew all too well said from behind him. Kaito turned to see Shuichi Saihara. Normally Kaito could hold back any form of tears, but as a kid he was a mess. Rushing forward, Kaito engulfed Shuichi in a hug that only kids who hadn't seen their family in years could give. "Kaito!?" Shuichi gasped, surprised by the sudden affection. 

"Have I ever told you you're the best friend anyone could ask for Shuichi?" Kaito asked. Shuichi smiled and shook his head, a small blush creeping up on his cheeks. "Well you are!" With that, Kaito grabbed Shuichi's hand and guided him over to the seats they always sat in during these years. 

"Kaito," Shuichi whispered shyly. Kaito looked over in his direction. "You are too." Kaito mouth hung open slightly. He wasn't near the best friend someone could ask for. He let his friend die because he was too busy getting food at a nearby restaurant. He could have done something, but he didn't. Those words echoed in Kaito's mind as the bell rung and their teacher walked into the classroom. 

\---------------

The day has gone by quickly and the teachers were quite surprised in Kaito's sudden raise in intelligence. One had even accused him of cheating. Hah, he showed them when he retook the test and just got a better grade. 

While walking back home, Kaito passed the small park that nobody ever played in at this hour. That's when he saw them. Kokichi Ouma. When Kaito first passed Kokichi years ago, he always ignored him. He'd thought it was creepy for someone to be standing at the park staring at nothing when the moon was up. Some people even called Kokichi a vampire due to his pale skin, and habits of standing at the park in the middle of the night. Kaito had been dumb enough to believe some of those rumors. Kaito took a step forward, but immediately stepped back. He had no idea how to approach the boy. Thinking and coming up with a total of no plans Kaito gave up. He turned around and walked away. Not today, he would do it tomorrow, just not today. 

\---------------

The next day Kaito sat towards the back so he could keep an eye on Kokichi. He wanted to have an idea of what the boy was like so he knew how to save him. Kaito just wanted an idea of Kokichi's background. Why? The voice in his head was telling him to. 

The seat Kaito had chose was right next to Kokichi's. Shuichi and the two other girls they hung out with, Kaede and Maki, gave him a weird look upon seeing him sit somewhere else. They followed and sat near him though. Then Kokichi entered the classroom. When he saw the bundle of kids sitting near his normal seat his eyes widened an inch before going back to their normal size. He slowly walked towards his seat by the window and sat down. As he did the shorts of their uniform blew up slightly. Then Kaito saw them. Bruises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this story doesn't seem very consistent to you, I'm sorry, it really doesn't.


	4. Chapter 4

Kaito stared off into space as Kaede, Shuichi and Maki talked about random things. The majority of the class had already left and they were just talking before they'd follow everyone else. They were always the ones doing that. The teacher would sometimes even have to kick them out because they took too long to leave. Most of the time Kaito initiated the conversations, but today he was quiet. His mind kept switching back to the bruises on Kokichi's legs. Kaede pulled him out of his thoughts by shaking his arm. 

"Looks like somebody has a crush!" Kaede teased. Kaito sputtered and opened his mouth to argue but Maki beat him to it. 

"Who?" She asked, eyes widening in surprise, not realizing who it was as the oblivious little self she was. Shuichi and Kaede exchanged knowing looks, smirks playing on both of their lips. 

"Kaito!" Kaede squealed. Maki's eyes widened and gave Kaito a questioning look. He wasn't sure whether to be flustered or angry at this point. 

"You like Kokichi don't you?" Shuichi asked, voice slightly teasing but still holding that same quiet gentleness. Kaito shot him a betrayed look. He just smiled a mischievous smile. Kaito had never seen Shuichi like this before. 

"No! What would make you think that!?" Kaito argued weakly. Kaede smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. 

"You were staring at him all during class!" She exclaimed. Kaito froze. He was? Yeah, he was paying more attention to Kokichi then he would have normally been, but..! 

"And you sat next to him rather than going to your normal spot!" Shuichi added. Kaito had a perfectly good excuse for both of those reasons but it's not like they would even believe him. Kaito glanced at Maki who looked like she was slowly being convinced. Maki too!?

"That was coincidence! I had no idea he sat there!" Kaito once again attempted to argue. Kaede rolled her eyes at the foolish argument. 

"Everyone in the class knows he sits there!" Kaede pointed out. Kaito bit his lip, that was true. 

"You yourself used it as evidence against some of the people calling him a vampire!" Shuichi reminded him. "'Said a vampire wouldn't survive sitting by the window all day!" Kaito's eyes widened, he didn't remember saying that. 

"Which is totally true, by the way!" Kaede added. "I don't know why you say your such a bad detective-hey! You were trying to get me to change the subject!" 

"Ugh just stop talking, please!" Kaito begged. Kaede opened her mouth to say more but Shuichi shook his head at her. Looks like Shuichi finally became the Shuichi Kaito had known all his life. 

"Still, deny it all you want I know you have the hots for him!" Kaede yelled while walking away. Maki had a look in her eyes as though she would never see Kaito the same again. 

"What a great way to end the school day..." Kaito muttered. 

\---------------

As Kaito walked home he noticed Kokichi. Kaito's house was always in a different area from everyone else in the class and was separated by a tunnel that the kids in Kaito's neighborhood always had to walk through to get to the other side. He always said the other kids in his class were lucky that they didn't have to tread through it. He'd had no idea Kokichi had to as well. 

Kaito hadn't even noticed Kokichi had stopped walking until he spoke up, causing Kaito to jump. 

"You know, it's not nice to stare." Kokichi said, his voice laired with boredom. "Idiot..." He added causing Kaito to bubble with rage. 

"Is that how you greet someone!" He exclaimed before widening his eyes upon realization that he had said that out loud. He was about to apologize but his words were caught in his mouth as it dawned on him Kaede probably told Kokichi he had a crush on him. Kaede never could keep her mouth shut in 5th Grade, could she?

Kokichi then turned back around, probably to walk away but Kaito continued talking. "I thought maybe we could be friends!" No response. "After all, we go home the same way!" Kaito added in an attempt to make it less awkward. Kokichi turned back around to face him. 

"Why would you say that to me of all people?" Jeez, Kaito never realized Kokichi was such a pain in the ass. "But I understand a little bit. You and I are both liars, Kaito Momota." Kaito was taken off guard. Who was this kid? He wasn't normal, that was for sure. He stayed quiet, unsure how to respond. 

"I saw you run home yesterday." Kokichi continued. Kaito frowned. Was he talking about at the park? "Is your mother that precious to you?" Kaito thought about how in a few years, he never will see his mother again. Only his grandparents. 

"Yeah." He replied lamely. 

"Oh." Kokichi had the same bored tone again, as he continued down the tunnel. 

"Wait, Kokichi!" Kokichi didn't stop. "Wait! I wanna be friends!" Kokichi finally stopped. 

"Friends?" He then turned around slightly to where his violet eyes were the only part of his face showing. "Then would you kill someone for my sake?" Kaito felt his face go pale. He didn't answer. Kokichi turned back around and kept walking. This time, Kaito didn't stop him. 

As Kokichi walked away, the wind caused the shorts he was wearing to fly up slightly. It gave Kaito a good look at the bruises littering Kokichi's thighs. Something was going on with Kokichi before he was murdered. If Kaito could figure it out in time then maybe, just maybe he could stop the kidnappings of 5th grade. Or at least, one of the kidnappings could be stopped. And for Kaito, that's all that mattered to him at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know! Yet another short chapter, I just wanted to hold onto this ending really bad! Honestly all of my chapters will probably be short. Also, since in Kaito's motive video it was his grandparents as the most important people in his life, in this story I have it where his parents died in 7th Grade and he went to live with his Grandparents. Even if he doesn't acknowledge that very much, it's more the wound being old and he's used to it being there that he often can forget why it's there in the first place. Sorry if you don't like that idea I just felt like doing that.


	5. Chapter 5

"The relay is coming up soon where classes race in an attempt to prove who has the most athletic ability!" Kaede squealed in the hallway before turning to Maki and Kaito.

"Are you two gonna try out?" Shuichi asked for her. Maki shook her head but Kaito put a grin on his face.

"Hah! I'm Kaito Momota! Luminary of the Stars! Of course I'm going to try out for the relay!" He exclaimed with a confident smirk. Shuichi shot him a surprised look.

"I thought you were the "soon-to-be Luminary of the Stars," what changed!?" He asked. Maki's eyes widened at the statement. Kaede turned to Kaito excitedly.

"Are you an astronaut now!?" She asked, her eyes literally sparkling. Kaito gulped, he shouldn't have brought his title into that statement.

"Well I will be soon!" He cried, causing Maki to slump back and Kaede to roll her eyes. Shuichi didn't seem like he accepted the slip-up too well though. Kaito bit his lip as he watched them leave, him staying behind for the relay try-outs.

There was a laugh behind him that Kaito swore he'd heard before. It didn't sound like a normal laugh, it sounded like a horse whinny. Kaito turned around to see Kokichi smiling up at Kaito. The smile seemed fake.

"Are you really signing up for the relay?" He asked. Kaito nodded, knowing every word he said would be ridiculed by this kid. "Heh, you probably just said that to look big in front of them." Kaito felt anger burble in his stomach.

"You might call me a liar but I would never lie to friends!" He exclaimed, staring the other boy down.

"I'm assuming that doesn't include me." Kokichi noted looking out the window next to his seat.

"Actually, I consider you a friend since you didn't decline the offer." Kaito commented causing Kokichi to whip his head around in surprise. "I would never lie to you, even if you lie to me." Kokichi had a look as though he didn't believe him but nodded anyway.

With that, Kaito went towards the try-outs room, with more energy after speaking with Kokichi.

\-----

The other class cheered as the younger student crossed the finish line. Kaito sped up his pace and became a quick second place. He smiled at the smile that made its way on the other boy's face. He didn't care he'd lost, that look made it all worth it.

\-----

"Kaito what happened!" Kaede questioned Kaito the moment they found each other in the crowd heading for the school.

"You were in first place the entire time and at the end just slowed down." Maki commented, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at Kaito suspiciously.

"I nearly tripped and had to slow down to catch my footing is all! The kid just happened to run past me!" Kaito explained, trying to ignore the disappointment and suspicion in the two's eyes. Just remember the kid's smile and excitement.

They looked as though they wanted to say more but the bell cut them off to Kaito's relief. As the two turned back towards their seat, Kaito grabbed his stuff and began to walk out of the classroom.

"Kaito!?" Shuichi called, surprised. His voice signaled Kaede and Maki who turned back.

"I'll talk to you guys later!" Kaito called ignoring Kaede's comment about him probably going after Kokichi. Whether she had good intentions or not, Kaito was growing bored of it. Bored? Kokichi was really rubbing off on him.

As he exited the classroom he noticed Kokichi's disappearing down the stairs. Starting to run after the other boy, Kaito sprinted towards the stairs, skipping every other step.

"Kokichi! Wait up!" Kaito yelled. Kokichi kept walking but allowed Kaito to catch up. "That guy was really fast!" Kaito commented as he caught up.

"Oh." Kaito was surprised by the answer. Kokichi was one who would normally say more about that kind of stuff. It's why he even brought it up in the first place.

"Hey, tell me your birthday, Kokichi." The shorter boy kept walking, as though he hadn't heard Kaito. "What's wrong?" Kaito asked. Kokichi finally stopped.

"You said you wouldn't lie to me." Kaito paused. How had Kokichi known...?

"Sorry," Kaito said, trying to come up with any other responses. "I just...felt that kid should win today."

"Oh," There was silence. "It's not like it matters anyway. We're both liars." The two had come farther than that day in the tunnel. Now they were back to the same words.

"Kaito!?" Kaito didn't even look at the one who had said those words. "Do you want to maybe walk home together?" It was Kaede. She probably had seen the majority of the whole thing.

While Kaede may have been annoying at times in 5th Grade, she could be a really good friend. Even then...

"Sorry! I left something in the classroom, go ahead!"

\-----

Kaito peered around the corner and was relieved to see no teachers in the room. Sneaking in, Kaito found his way over to the desk of their teacher, Aoi Asahina. Shuffling through her stuff, Kaito came across the book of student information.

Opening the large book, Kaito flipped to the O's and searched for Ouma. He was so focused on finding the name, Kaito didn't even notice the door to the room opening.

"Ouma Kokichi. Birthday; June 21," Kaito read out loud.

"Ah, so you wanted to know Kokichi's birthday?" A voice asked. Kaito whipped around to find himself face to face with his teacher. Letting out a surprised sound, Kaito attempted to hide, to no use, the fact that he'd been snooping through Aoi's stuff.

"Miss Asahina, I apologize!" Kaito cried quickly, bowing in apology. As he raised himself back up, he looked up at the brunette, expecting punishment. Instead, Aoi just smiled at him.

"It's okay, Kaito. I'm going to take a wild guess that you asked Kokichi when his birthday was and he refused to tell you..?" Kaito nodded in amazement. Aoi looked over at the information book.

"You know, I'm surprised you were still in here when I came. There's actually a bookmark on that page." Kaito looked back at the book to see there was actually a thin paper bookmark on that page.

"Why do you have Kokichi's page bookmarked?" Kaito asked curiously. Aoi's eyes seemed to grow distant as she answered.

"Kokichi has always been..secretive. I was hoping to learn more about him through the book." Kaito nodded, knowing what she was talking about.

"This might sound out of the blue..but have you noticed the bruises on Kokichi's legs?" Aoi flinched and Kaito thought he might have crossed some boundaries but she nodded. "Why are they there?" Kaito knew it was rude to do since he knew the answer, he just wanted to know if she knew.

"Well, I believe they are there due to his family life."

"Can we do anything about it?" Kaito asked. Aoi looked down, and studied Kaito, her blue eyes piercing into his.

"I am unable to at the time, but you may be able to." She finally answered. Kaito nodded. That was all he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for taking months to update this! I have one more chapter coming before this story remains on a hiatus and I apologize for that. I will try to continue this story but it may be a while.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I have no idea what I'm doing. I literally just looked up Japanese restaurants and food, I have no idea if Kazue is even a restaurant and I don't think Yakitori is something couples specifically will eat. It was literally just the first Japanese food other than sushi to come up. Just clearing things up so you guys don't go spreading possibly wrong information.
> 
> Also, I know there isn't much Oumota so far and it's more Saimota, and I warn there will be SOME Saimota in this story but I promise there will be Oumota later on )


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